artist. writer. seeker of beauty in the ordinary.

July 2014

July 31, 2014

some days life swirls up quite the swell and one of the only ways i can power through (and maintain my sanity) is to grab my shoes and go out for a run. today was like that - and the run did help. it's an endless sea sometimes, so finding tools to help you navigate is really vital. this part of summer kind of does that to me. as we approach that last stretch of it, there's a melancholy that seems to weave it's way into those long, lazy days. kind of like that whispering of the new year calling from somewhere just out of sight. so to keep the whispers at bay a bit longer, i run.

tomorrow is 1 august, and i am going to participate in susannah'saugust break this month. i am game for the photo challenge and look forward to seeing what's created/collected. i will be posting here and also over on my instagram (do drop by and say hello), better yet, join us! i am not one to make this thing rigid, so i may post those pics here periodically and throw in a normal post or so along the way - not going to hold myself to any sort of rules, just run with it (she rolls eyes...are you sensing a theme here or what?) :)

July 22, 2014

it never ceases to amaze me the lessons traveling teaches - even when you are traveling home. sometimes, home, holds the biggest lessons of all.

living overseas for close to 10 years, you grow to understand what feeling like a stranger truly feels like. as comfortable as you are in your new country, you can never be "local" and the oddest feeling of all is going back home and feeling like a stranger there too. you see, you have been away long enough to fall out of sync with the rhythms of your home, the pace of your neighborhood, and the growth of your city. you realize (all too clearly at times) how life simply progresses. it's natural. but it's such an odd feeling to experience.

i ran while i was home and nostalgia and some ray charles were my co-pilot as i navigated through new subdivisions and passed by homes that were not yet built when i was last there. quite quickly, i was reintroduced to the hilly terrain that makes up the familiar streets on my route. rather than the perfume of jasmine lining my way, i was awakened by pine, honeysuckle, and others that scented the path. and their frangrance would conjure up the deepest of memory, surprising my train of thought as i ran up yet another hill.

then of course, there is catching up with dear family and friends. the strangest of moments now as we gather and reconnect, is being surrounded by all of our children. when did that happen, you wonder?! of course you know of their children, but being together in-person, you are catapulted back in time, and seeing smaller versions of yourself and your friends milling around is a bit of a mind-bender.

all and all...you remember that while it's true that you can never quite go home again, there is that bit of home that always stays with you.

July 19, 2014

re-entry always feels bumpy for a gazillion reasons. there's the physical travel and the stresses that brings - in this case for the trip back to Italy this time - there were many. but there is also the processing of the trip itself...the travels, the experiences, the memories.

and at the moment, we are all in the throws of jet-lag. not sure why it only hits me coming this direction, but it does. and this time it is hitting harder than i remember. last night, three of us were wide awake at 2am wondering what do we do now? "i'm looking california, but feeling minnesota" (soundgarden). yes, that about covers where my head is today. not quite back, not quite adjusted, not just yet.

so as i sift through laundry and wait for missing luggage in a bit of a fog, i am feeling pretty thankful for the whole darn deal.